Who is to blame for Tadipatri trouble?

ANANTAPUR: Tadipatri strongman J C Diwakar Reddy has won five consecutive times from Tadipatri assembly constituency. That he wasn't defeated even during N T Rama Rao's sway in 1983 polls stands testimony to his stranglehold on the constituency.
But things have changed a lot in the fiefdom of the panchayat raj minister in the last five years. If the mindless violence a day after the April 23 polling has put the minister in poor light, what has come as a shocker was JC's claim that he and his brother, J C Prabhakar Reddy, have nothing to hide and it was TDP's goons who have spread terror in the town.
However, rumours are rife that JC is on a sticky wicket against TDP's Peram Nagireddy this time and hence unleashed his brother -- a law unto himself in this part of the world -- to ignite unprecedented violence to browbeat his opponents."With a free and fair poll on April 23, JC's days are numbered and he knows that as well," a district observer said.
Also, Prabhakar and his henchmen could not resort to booth capturing and silent cycling -- a common feature in many polling booths of Tadipatri in previous elections -- because of strict EC guidelines. "The huge presence of police force was another factor because of which the JC brothers could not flex their muscles in the area," a source said.
Sources said the local Congress leaders were shocked to see long queues of women at many polling stations in the very first hour on the polling day. For instance, more than 2,000 men and women were at the Nandalapadu polling booth on the outskirts of Tadipatri town at 9 am. "All these years, people were scared to come out and vote. But now, people are willing to exercise their franchise without fearing the factionists and warlords," a TDP leader said.
Sources said the huge voter turnout has put paid to the hopes of JC to come up trumps again. "So, the JC brothers showcased their frustration by targeting the houses of TDP leaders and polling agents," a source said.Interestingly, the minorities have also developed antipathy towards the brothers after the damage caused to a minar of a dargah in the town last year. Though the minister tried to buy peace with them, it was to no avail.
TDP Anantapur constituency Lok Sabha candidate K Srinivasulu alleged that JC brothers were frustrated over an imminent defeat. "The minister and his brother are terrorising the people of Tadipatri but their game plan has fallen flat," he said.
Nagireddy accused both the brothers of resorting to violence only after their plans to rig the elections had failed. He said the Congress leaders have developed cold feet what with the TDP's sops of cash transfer scheme and distribution of free TV sets attracting a large number of women voters to the polling booths.
Meanwhile, the Tadipatri strongman pooh-poohed the claims of his rivals. "I am going to win with a thumping majority," JC boasted. But what about the violence? "It was the handiwork of disgruntled TDP workers and leaders. Neither I nor my brother have any role with April 24 attacks," he asserted.